With Radio One chart recognition in the UK, a well-established name in the Sri Lankan music industry, and a solo album already under his belt, Colombo-born musician Krishan Maheson is well on his way to achieving his dream of promoting Tamil rap music and bringing it into the international arena. In fact he is justifiably credited with being the first Tamil artist to launch rap music in Sri Lanka.

            On first impressions Krishan looks every bit the typical rapper, sporting a large basketball jersey and baggy jeans, he is rather serious looking, burly and imposing figure of over six feet seeming quite formidable.  Appearances couldn’t be more deceiving. After leaning in for a very continental kiss on both cheeks, he begins to speak, revealing a particularly mild-mannered and amiable nature. He exudes a distinct humility that gives away nothing of his celebrity and the immense success he has already achieved.

How did you first get into rapping?

Well at school my friends and I would bang on the desks and rap Dre and Tupac lyrics. At home me and my brother Gajan listened to a lot of hiphop music and decided to do something original of our own.

When did your music career take off?

In 1997 my brother and I formed a group called Urban Sounds and we released a track called Smooth Flow.

Who was your musical inspiration?

I listened to a lot of Tribe called Quest. My brother was into more g-funk.

Urban Sounds parted ways after just a year, was it an amicable separation?

Absolutely. In fact we are planning to reform and work together in the future. Back then, my brother went to work in a group with two artists called Bhathiya and Santosh, and I teamed up with Iraj.

Iraj! I was just comin to that, if I Google ‘Krishan’, the hits will invariably turn up his name. Tell me about him.
 He is a producer. We established our names together. I met him back at Royal College in Sri Lanka. We did tracks such as Run Run Run, Ninda Noyena Handawe, J-Town story and Roots.

Roots in fact brought you into the international arena didn’t it?

Yes it was very popular. It was played on radio stations in Canada, Australia and here on Radio One on Nihal’s and Bobby Friction’s chart.

You have since left Iraj’s group Ill Noize as well, why was that.

I felt the need to move out on my own and form my sole identity.

And thus your debut album was born.  Tell me about the making of Asian Avenue.

It was a four month project. Writing lyrics, composing melodies, recording, publicity all done during a short break between my work and studies. The album was recorded at the Hit Factory with the help of one of Sri Lanka’s most recognised sound engineers Ranga Dassanayake. Asian Avenue is the first Tamil R’n’b/Rap album to be released in Sri Lanka. It is also the first album to reach a Universal music label in India and Sri Lanka.

Who do you feel you owe gratitude for your album.

My parents and friends who have supported me. Everyone involved in the album, Yohan who produced most of the tracks, Sarjun did a few tracks, and Iraj who did one of the tracks. 

Who else do you credit with promoting rap music generally in Sri Lanka?

Rap crews in Sri Lanka initially started back in 97. One was called Brown Boogie Nation and the other was Rudeboy Republic. We actually teamed up with them on our Urban Sounds track Smooth flow, so that gave us a bit of recognition.

What do you think about other r’n’b/rap artists in Sri Lanka coming up now.

I respect them and appreciate their music. But I notice they are using my music as their benchmark and I would advise them do their own thing and make their own music.

About your own music,  which of your tracks are you most proud of?

J-Town Story. I wrote that in about two hours. It spoke to a lot of Tamil people. A lot of people told me how it touched them and thanked me for expressing the difficulties and discrimination they face.

So would you consider yourself a voice for Tamil people?

Perhaps. I just think Tamil people, especially those outside of Sri Lanka feel somewhat lost. They don’t know who to follow. I just hope through my music they feel they have someone to identify with. In fact I’ve heard that some of the Tamil guys in Canada have referred to me as the Pirabaharan of rap! Actually I’d like to be more of a Tamil Tupac.

Are you opposed to Sinhalese people?

Absolutely not.  I am just against the oppression of Tamils. And I think its really pathetic the way so many have been forced to run away and seek asylum in other countries when they have a beautiful one of their own. Asian avenue talks about warfare and its aftermath and many other issues.

Which track is most personal to you? 

They are all very personal. Especially the love songs. But I guess the most personal would have to be the one that samples the Carnartic song Aynkiri Nanthini. The original song is religious so I wanted to write about something sacred. To me the most sacred thing is a mother’s love.

How do your parents feel about your music career?

They aren’t keen. They want me to focus on my studies but they have still been supportive. In the beginning when we couldn’t afford to go to the studio and record a track my dad would fund us.
 

What are you studying?

Im doing Business Management at London Metropolitan.

What objectives have you set yourself?

I want to finish my degree and get a masters in marketing and information systems and eventually get into FMCG brand management.

What about your musical objectives?

I want to keep bringing tamil rap music to the masses. I would also like to get into the south Indian tamil film scene.

You want to act?

No! I want to work with some of eminent music directors out there. Id love to work with AR Rahman. I am also really keen on Yuvan Shankar Raja’s work. I think he’s very talented and he his sound seems to have some hip hop influences. So I would really like to do something with him.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?

I want to be settled with a family and a steady job as a director of marketing.

That’s not the answer I was expecting. You don’t see yourself as a rapper?

(laughs)

So where does music figure in the picture?

Music is just a pastime. I love rapping, but it is not a career.

What do you love about rapping?

I love the flow. It is a nice way to express yourself. It’s poetry more or less.

Do you prefer recording or performing?

I do really enjoy writing lyrics and composing melodies. But I love performing the most. I get to interact with the crowd and call people up on stage. Its such a good feeling to see your fans sing along to your stuff. It motivates you to keep making more music.

You love expressing yourself through rap, you love performing, are you sure you don’t see a career in music?

OK, I need to get my studies done.  But after that,  I guess I am in a country with a lot of opportunities. There’s a huge potential for Asian artists here. I have had some offers so we’ll see what happens.

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